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Dallas Zoo Dallas Zoo News 2016

Discussion in 'United States' started by cleusk, 8 Jan 2016.

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  1. Arizona Docent

    Arizona Docent Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    A three and a half acre hippo exhibit would be awesome! Dallas is already IMO the best zoo in the southwest and this will be perhaps the best hippo exhibit in the nation (assuming they have substantial land for grazing).
     
  2. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I totally agree with this (not sure about beat in southwest, haven't yet been to them all). I assume that there will be grazing space for the hippos. The water area will be 120,000 gallons, which doesn't cover that much surface area (unless it's really shallow). I will be moving from the area before this opens, sadly, but hopefully I'll be back to visit soon after it debuts.

    Elephant news!:
    Zoo's Facebook.
     
  3. wensleydale

    wensleydale Well-Known Member

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    I'm so glad the Elephants are putting on weight. For the past month I have been imagining them eating like Cookie Monster, they must appreciate the extra nutrition very much. I'm glad they took a mother daughter pair as well, in some places they would just want the juveniles. And I sincerely hope that the Bull makes the makes things happen, that's what he was brought in for after all.
     
    Last edited: 7 Apr 2016
  4. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I really do hope they hurry along with introducing all the elephants (wishful thinking, ah well). I have less than 4 months in Texas... I want to see them all before I move. Hopefully Tendaji does make things happen.
     
  5. Coelacanth18

    Coelacanth18 Well-Known Member Premium Member 5+ year member

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    That's more than most zoos give to elephants!

    While the size will be wonderful for the hippos, my concerns with this are:

    1. Will the hippos still be close and easily visible to the public?
    2. Assuming they want to keep more than just a couple of hippos (which I assume is the case), where are they going to get all of them from?
     
  6. Gulo gulo

    Gulo gulo Well-Known Member

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    The exhibit that the Hippos use will not be 3.5 acres. That figure includes the exhibit, holding building, yards, visitor space and amenities. Think about it logically. Will the Zoo give an exhibit the size of GOTS just for Hippos? No. If it was so large, why would they skimp on pool size and offer the pair or trio just 120,000 gallons in their water area? They tout the underwater viewing panel as 24'x8'. If an exhibit was as massive as Jayjds says, that small of a pool and underwater viewing area seems like a waste. While the Zoo is open, do you expect Hippos to be on land and grazing? Wishful thinking.
     
  7. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    1. Yes. There will be underwater viewing and the monorail will go over a portion of the habitat, providing fairly good views for visitors. I feel that the okapi, stork, and red river hog habitat will have poorer viewing as it is on an "upper level" which I assume means that okapi and friends could look down on the hippos if they wanted to. I don't know how close the visitor viewing will be for them on foot, but the monorail should still provide a decent view. I wish the zoo would put out a "blueprint" of the layout.
    2. All I know is the exhibit will start with 1.2 hippos. When I know where they are coming from, I'll update the thread. I expect we won't know for a bit.

    Also, I haven't a clue what happened to the pair of yellow-backed duiker that lived with okapi in the old habitat. I know they were sick and off exhibit, and I don't know the outcome of that. Regardless, their (and the okapi's) old habitat has been obliterated. They could easily be thrown in an exhibit on the monorail.

    As it stands now, the saddlebill stork - Egyptian vulture - white backed vulture aviary is still standing. It seems that the zoo is keeping it- it is, after all, the first exhibit that hatched saddlebill storks.
     
    Last edited: 7 Apr 2016
  8. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I'll quote this directly from the magazine:
    And
    It sounds like the exhibit space will be 3.5 acres to me. They certainly have that much land cleared out (I have construction pics, will post soon).

    As for what you've said, I've seen multiple hippos exhibiting grazing behavior on multiple occasions, at the Saint Louis Zoo and the Kansas City Zoo. They occurred at all times of day, so I presume the same may take place here.
     
    Last edited: 7 Apr 2016
  9. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    I fear that the bull at 2600 pounds is too immature to do anything with the full grown cows for some years yet unfortunately.
     
  10. Hyak_II

    Hyak_II Well-Known Member 10+ year member

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    That is Omaha's bull that is 2600 pounds. Dallas has not released a weight on their male AFAIK, and Dallas has already stated their male is between 10 and 15 years old.
     
  11. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Sorry, slight misjudgement on my part. Even so, 10 - 15 years is in elephant bull speak a pubescent male. Only at 22-25 years of age can we consider elephants bulls sexually mature and able to stand their ground over adult cows .... (BTW: which the latter would not have it any other way). Not saying, there are no exceptions ... just that the likelihood of earlier breedings is a chance and not a certainty at Dallas too.
     
  12. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Official langur announcement (from zoo's Facebook):
     
  13. Kifaru Bwana

    Kifaru Bwana Well-Known Member 15+ year member

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    Any chances they will breed and the group might be a little more robust?
     
  14. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I doubt it. The entire captive population of spectacled langurs is related, last I checked. There's only about 70 captive worldwide, with less than 20 in the USA.
     
  15. Chlidonias

    Chlidonias Moderator Staff Member 15+ year member

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    are you meaning "the entire captive population in the USA", or the world, because if you mean the latter that is simply not true.
     
  16. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    The USA. However, I was under the impression that lots of the captive population was related, but if that isn't true, then that's good.
     
  17. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    I've updated the gallery with several pictures of the monorail habitats (unsure what did and didn't change). I also added some of the new habitats viewed when entering and exiting the monorail, as well as construction on the hippo and friends habitats.
     
  18. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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    Sent a note to the zoo for confirmation. They said that there is none planned at the moment, but don't rule it out for the future.
     
  19. jayjds2

    jayjds2 Well-Known Member 5+ year member

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  20. wensleydale

    wensleydale Well-Known Member

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    How long has it been since the Golden Girls saw a Bull last? This must be a novel experience for them.